Miss Kitten and the Hacker Interview!

When did Miss Kitten and The Hacker first become a duo?

MK: In the mid-90's when I was asked to do a track for a compilation, Michel was the only one I knew who had equipment to help me. We knew each other from the 1st techno parties in our area since 1990, a group of maybe 10 people who still hang out together since! When we heard the 1st Dopplereffekt EP, it was a shock, the kind of music we always wanted to do, in a more pop way. Michel was always fascinated by 80's new wave pop duos, so he went for it and I took this role without knowing what I was stepping in! Let's say it was a time where Jeff Mills and Co. were our techno heroes, we knew we could never reach that level of production so we took the counter-feet of it, not really expected or welcomed until "electroclash" exploded much later.

TH: I think it was around 1996, Caroline asked me to help her to do a track for a compilation, that's how it all started... 

What brought you both together?

MK: Parties! This whole rave movement changed our life, being part of something you never experienced before, making you realise you could invent your life away from the norm. Our personalities are quite opposite, finding a perfect combination in music.

TH: We're from the same city, we have common friends and we were amongst the first to be interested in techno music, it was the early 90's. Also we both wanted to do something with techno music. 

Where did your stage names come from?

MK: When I was at art school, we did a wild party in an abandoned army fort. I was asked to play a few records next to the bar in the chill out. For the flyer, they needed a DJ name, I said "Kittin", like "Kick in", for fun. I never had the ambition to become a DJ. But later, when it took off, it was fashionable for promoters to put "Miss" in front of every female DJ name and I never managed to erase it.

TH: I took my name from an early Jeff Mills's track, I was a big fan then. 

How did you first fall in love with electronic music?

MK: In the local techno club in our hometown Grenoble, in 90. This club was a New Wave temple for years, until some Spanish DJs came to play this strange music, followed by French local pioneers. We quickly got hooked and spent all our time looking for parties to go to, all over the country. I was already big fan of KLF and such, so it was obvious I would fall for the Warp sound as well, electronica, Aphex Twin, Autechre, at the same time Detroit and Chicago DJs would invade the planet!

TH: I think it was when I was 8 or 9 year old and that I found a Kraftwerk album in my uncle collection of records. 

You’ve recently released your second album “Two” eight years after releasing your first LP. Why did you leave it so long before releasing your second album?

MK: Because we needed this time to do our own thing, learn by ourselves exploring our own world. From 96 to 2003, between 2 DJ gigs we were playing live in poor conditions all around the world, it nearly killed us. After the electro hype, we decided to take it easy and go on with DJing only. In the meantime, we never stopped being in touch, playing each other's music, collaborating for each other's solo projects. When I moved back to France, we both wanted to find a new inspiration away from the club scene, as we had the feeling we couldn't evolve more as DJs. We both felt the need to finally work on a proper live show as well, with a proper team. It was now or never, obvious.

TH: We needed a break from the electroclash craziness, also we wanted to do solo stuff, and then time passed by so fast that when we started to work together again we were like "what!? 8 years have already passed?!" 

more info

What inspired you to make this album?

MK: What it feels to be 35 in this world! All the existential questions about life, death, growing up, etc... Musically, it's also the combination of all our influences, from industrial music to disco, minimal techno, electro, based on a song structure we call pop music! We think we are mature and experienced enough now to digest and express it much better today, especially in a context of extreme mix of genres of today's music.

TH: Our old influences are still here: Dopplereffekt, Detroit electro, early 80's synth pop, LFO etc... but some new influences arrived also, some techno producers like: Function, Sleeparchive, Maetrik, Butane, and at the opposite some disco stuff as well. 

How has the musical world/scene changed since album no.1?

MK: What I just said. Before, our album came like an alien. No one expected vocals on raw music, which fitted our state of mind at the time: direct, homemade, low tech. With all these years practicing our art as DJs or producers, we could develop that raw energy into something much "wiser", finer, with more layers of understanding, just as we are as Human Beings. Around us, music still has define boarders but much less than before. Vocals and electronics are used everywhere in every style, which probably helps us reaching a larger audience.

TH: Everybody is making music now, maybe it's a little bit too much, so many artists, labels, djs, new music style that last 2 weeks, everything go so fast now it's unbelievable. 

Caroline, you’ve worked with a number of artists over the years including Felix da Housecat, Chicks on Speed and Sven Vath... is there anyone in particular you’d really like to do a collaboration with?

MK: Lots of people! But it's not something you can plan. I prefer to let destiny do its job. I am a big fan of Damon Albarn or Thom Yorke, but I also love to collaborate with unexpected talents. Recently I did vocals for a Dutch female producer called Estroe, I played her music in my sets, she sent me a track and I did it! You never know... It's sometimes a happier experience than working with famous people, that's not how I do my choices anyway. 

Your music genre(s) have been described as everything from ‘electroclash’ and ‘electronica’, to ‘techno’ and ‘electropop’. If you have to use one word to describe your music what would it be?

MK: Hybrid pop music?

TH: Electropop or Synthpop sounds ok to me, I really liked the term "synthcore" in the early 00's, but I guess it's not cool anymore to use that term :-) 

What do you love best about working together?

MK: Our friendship. This is the key. We are like brother and sister, with dysfunctions but all in all, we know each other well enough to work by distance or communicate on the project in harmony, even if we are very different.

TH: We know each other so well we nearly don't have to talk anymore, everything comes so naturally, it's really cool, something rare I think. 

And the worst part...?!

MK: There's none really. Even though we manage to put water in our wine, we won't change our strong characters anymore so we deal with it. I have to admit it's actually my favourite part, when we always agree at the end! It's the biggest Human adventure of our life isn't it...

TH: I don't know, when it gets a bit tense we take our distance or talk and then we can fix problems. 

Who would win in an arm wrestle between you too?!

MK: We would never play that game...

TH: I think I would but Caroline has some serious chances :-) 

Are you looking forward to playing at Get Loaded in the Park this summer?

MK: Of course! It's a festival I've been watching closely. For us froggies we're quite proud to be on the list... every UK gig is particularly important for us. We have a lot to prove over there.

TH: Yes, it's always exciting to play festivals in UK, the crowd is so crazy and full on :-) 

Which other acts are you looking forward to seeing / catching up with at Get Loaded?

MK: Peaches 1st. Royksopp, Felix, Laurent, all the friends!

TH: I haven't checked the full line up yet, but I'm sure it will be amazing! 

You have a very hectic schedule over the summer, what do you most enjoy about playing in the UK?

MK: Playing full on cos we have nothing to lose.

TH: The crowd, they are really energetic and here to party, there's always a good atmosphere in UK festivals. 

What’s your best festival memory?

MK: Sonar in 2000, our first real performance, realising on stage possibilities we never imagined as we didn't know we could touch people that way. Benicassim, I was trapped in traffic jam, ran to the 

stage with my heavy bike boots, got there totally sweating just in time to start the 1st song.

TH: I think the first time (and only so far) we played Benicassim in 2001, it was really great, such a crazy crowd and atmosphere! 

Favourite festival drink and snack?

MK: Spritz: Aperol with prosecco... a cocktail from Venice I can drink by litters... not sure I can find that in UK though... no snack for me on tour!!!!

TH: We did one in Holland few years ago where surprisingly the food was very good! 

What’s next for Miss Kitten and The Hacker?

MK: 30 sunscreen for summer shows!